Semiconductor processing is an intensive activity during which several processes are integrated to achieve a working device. Miniaturization is the process of crowding more semiconductive devices onto a smaller substrate area in order to achieve better device speed, lower energy usage, and better device portability, among others. New processing methods must often be developed to enable miniaturization to be realized. Preferably, the processing methods needed to fabricate such devices are developed in a manner that existing processing equipment can be used.
The pressure to continue the miniaturization process also leads to new semiconductor device structures. As individual active devices become smaller and are fabricated closer together, leakage and second order effects become more significant. In the field of metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET), device leakage and miniaturization appear to be antagonistic challenges. Often, oxidation is carried out for the purpose of isolation, but oxidation often imparts stresses in the workpieces that lead to device failure. Deposition processes, although necessary, are time-consuming and costly. Further, deposition processes require masking and careful application. Further, deposition processes are preferentially applied when an integrated process can take advantage of a given deposition simultaneously in unrelated areas of a device.